Arrowmont Internships
The Internship Program at Arrowmont is a great opportunity for those who are interested in learning about nonprofit administration or seeking practical experience in an arts organization. Interns live and work on campus for 2-3 months, becoming a pivotal part of the Arrowmont Community during our busy workshop sessions. Learn more about internships.
2024 Summer Studio Tech Intern: Max Trumpower
We are always happy to welcome a new Studio Tech Intern to Arrowmont! This internship entails working closely with full-time studio technicians to help maintain the studio spaces and support instructors and students during workshop sessions. The 2024 Summer Studio Tech Intern, Max Trumpower, joined us from Charlotte, North Carolina. To continue learning more about Max and what brought them to the arts and Arrowmont this summer, continue reading below!
Q&A
Tell me a little bit more about yourself! Where are you from, and how did you get into the arts?
I’m originally from Charlotte, NC. I first got into the arts through my high school art teacher, Laura Fox-Wallis (who also happens to be an amazing silk painter and lover of Arrowmont).
Tell us more about your artwork and studio practice. What are the mediums you primarily work in, and themes that your work explores?
I primarily work in ceramics; however, my degree is in painting. In my studio practice, I explore themes of adolescence, Mexican traditions reflected from my childhood, and queerness. Through my practice I challenge the balance between sculptural and functional ceramics.
What interested you most in the Arrowmont Summer Studio Internship?
What interested me in the Arrowmont Studio Internship was the ability to have hands on experience of studio maintenance. I was interested in learning from studio technicians about their jobs and experiences working within a craft school environment.
What have your responsibilities been as the Summer Studio Intern? What do your days look like?
My responsibilities as a summer studio intern have been to check in on instructors and provide necessary assistance, answer questions from both instructors and students, collect slide presentations, work on studio equipment/machinery, and maintaining a cleanly studio environment.
Tell us one magical story from your time here at Arrowmont.
One of the most magical experiences I have had at Arrowmont was listening to Zeke Leonard’s artist presentation.
You were able to take a national workshop as part of your internship. How did that experience impact you?
I took a workshop in ceramics by Malcolm Mobutu Smith earlier in the summer. Through this workshop, I delved into the relationship between drawing and ceramics. Since this workshop, I have been more open to drawing on my ceramics, as well as finding ways that my two-dimensional work has influenced my three-dimensional work.
What have been the most valuable learning opportunities you’ve had during your internship?
The most valuable learning opportunities that I have had during my internship is learning how to replace different components of a gas burner for the gas kilns on campus, along with learning other machinery such as the jointer and planar in the wood studio. Now that I know how to use such machinery, I feel much more comfortable embarking on personal wood projects.
How has your experience at Arrowmont as the 2024 Summer Studio/Events Intern impacted you or potentially your career or life plans?
Through this internship, I learned the necessary skills required to work as a studio technician for a larger craft school. In the future, I would love to work as a studio technician for a ceramics area (whether at an academic institution or craft school), and this internship has shown insight into what that future might look like.
Are you interested in becoming a Studio Tech Intern? Are you wanting to expand your knowledge in nonprofit administration and the arts?
Contact Kelly Hider at [email protected] or call 865-436-5860 extension 31 for more details on next year’s internships!
